New Delhi, Jan 17: Noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar has turned 68 today. He and his admirers are celebrating his birthday while wishes are pouring in from all around and Bollywood is not behind with some celebrities congratulating him on Twitter.
Wife Shabana Azmi tweeted: "Happy birthday Javed Akhtar!"
Yashraj Films wrote: "Wishing the legendary lyricist Javedakhtarjadu a very Happy Birthday! Thank you for creating magic with your words in our lives!"
Film director Nikhil Advani tweeted: "Javedakhtarjadu happy happy birthday. It's been an absolute honor and joy to share your creative space even if it was momentarily."
Lets have a look at Javed Akhtar's journey so far
He was born on 17th January 1945 in Gwalior to Jan Nisar Akhtar, a major Bollywood film songwriter and Urdu poet and singer Safia Akhtar, a teacher and writer.
After his birth, his parents moved to Lucknow and later Aligarh. Young Javed Akhtar lost his mother at a young age and his father frequently moved back and forth between Lucknow and Bombay, so he and his brother spent most of their time with relatives.
Javed Akhtar arrived Mumbai on 4th October 1964. In his early years in Mumbai, he occasionally used to work as an assistant. He got a job as a scriptwriter in ‘Yakeen' which flopped. He then joined his friend Salim Khan to develop the story for ‘Adhikar'.
Akhtar was married to Honey Irani, a scriptwriter for Hindi films, with whom he had two children Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. The father and son duo have worked together in films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Rock On!! and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara along with Zoya. After Javed's divorce with Irani, he married actress Shabana Azmi, the daughter of another Urdu poet, Kaifi Azmi.
The Salim-Javed pair was hired by GP Sippy's Sippy Films as resident screenwriters. The pair produced the screenplays for numerous successful films like Andaaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Don. Javed Akhtar was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999 and he received the Padma Bhushan in 2007.
Javed Akhtar won the Filmfare Award fourteen times, seven times for Best Script writing and seven times for Best Lyrics for "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha" in 1942-A Love Story, "Ghar Se Nikalte Hi" for Papa Kahte Hain, "Sandese Aate Hain" for Border, "Panchhi Nadiyan Pawan Ke Jhonke" forRefugee, "Radha Kaise Na Jale" for Lagaan, "Kal Ho Na Ho" for Kal Ho Na Ho , "Tere Liye" for Veer-Zaara and "Jashn-e-Bahara" for Jodhaa Akbar.
He has won the National Award five times. In 1996 he won for Best Lyricist award for the film Saaz and in 1997 he won the National Award for Border. He again won the National Award in 1998 for Godmother. In 2000 he again won the National Award for the song "Panchhi Nadiyan Pawan Ke Jonke..." from the film Refugee and in 2001 for "Radha Kaise Na Jale" from Lagaan.
But today's generation remembers him more for his poetic lyrics for films like Lagaan, Kal Ho Na Ho,Rock On!!, Namastey London, Om Shanti Om, Wake Up Sid and many many more and there is lot more to come out of this poetic genius. For today it's a big bash time for Javed Saab as we wish him a very Happy Birthday.
